1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a sliding tine assembly provided on a dishwasher dishrack.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In general, domestic dishwashers include at least one dishrack for supporting items, such as dishware, glassware, kitchen utensils, pots pans and the like, to be washed. The dishrack typically includes a plurality of tines arranged in rows to aid in organizing the dishware. As tines that are arranged to support plates often times cannot accommodate larger bowls or pots, the spacing between the rows and the tines is varied so as to accommodate various size dishware.
In order to provide greater flexibility in arranging dishware, several manufacturers have developed adjustable tine systems. Adjustable tine systems allow a consumer to alter a spacing between adjacent tines in a particular tine row in order to accommodate various sized/shaped dishware. In one typical arrangement, the adjustable tine system includes first and second interconnected tine rows that are arranged perpendicular to one another. Tines in the first tine row are spaced differently than the tines in the second tine row. To select a desired spacing, the consumer need simply rotate the tine system such that either the first or second tine row points upward from the dishrack. The tine system is then locked in place through, for example, a snap-fit arrangement.
While the above described system provides some degree of flexibility, arranging larger items on the dishrack also affects spacing between tine rows. That is, while the spacing between adjacent tines is increased to accommodate larger items, the spacing between adjacent tine rows remains unchanged. Thus, when placing a large item onto the dishrack, it becomes difficult to arrange additional items alongside the larger item.
Based on the above, despite the presence of adjustable tine systems in the prior art, there exists a need for a sliding tine system. More specifically, there exists a need for a sliding tine system that is selectively shifted relative to a dishrack to alter a spacing between adjacent tine rows to provide a consumer with a still greater degree of flexibility when loading dishware into a dishwasher.